Dreams On Fire
by Lauren Eliza
Summary: Lucas and Peyton are getting married. But there are a lot of decisions to be made beforehand. LEYTON, one-shot.


Dreams On Fire

Peyton woke up to see Brooke hovering over her, coffee cup in hand, and a gentle smile on her face.

"Wake up, Peyton," she said. "You're getting married today."

Peyton smiled and sat up in bed, accepting the coffee from Brooke with whispered thanks.

"You didn't spike it, did you?" she joked.

"Not today," Brooke replied. "Only because you're pregnant, though!"

"Thank you," Peyton said. "Not for the coffee, but for everything. For being my maid of honour. For being my best friend. For being you. And for letting me stay here just to drive Lucas crazy!"

"_You want to stay at Brooke's the night before our wedding?" Lucas asked in disbelief._

"_Isn't that kind of tradition?"Peyton said. "To spend the night before apart?"_

"_Well, yeah, but you aren't exactly one for traditions," Lucas said. "Are you sure?"_

"_Yes, I'm sure," Peyton said. "There are lots of things in life I take lightly, but getting married to you isn't one of them. We're going to do this right."_

"_Except for you already being pregnant, right?" he joked. _

"_Okay, now I'm seriously leaving," she said, dropping a quick kiss on the top of his head. "I'll see you at the altar, Lucas Scott."_

"_I'll be seeing you," he replied, and watched her walk away._

"Should we call Haley and Karen to start getting ready?" Brooke asked.

"Sure," Peyton said. "I'm sure Lily is excited and Karen will want to distract her with her dress."

"Her one-of-a-kind Brooke Davis original hand-beaded flower-girl dress, you mean?" said Brooke.

"Yeah, that's the one," Peyton laughed.

Soon, the four women were assembled in Brooke's spacious living room, with Lily hopping about excitedly examining the dresses and accessories scattered throughout the room. Haley was braiding Karen's hair back away from her face as Brooke placed the finishing touches on the bride's hairstyle. Peyton had opted to keep it simple, leaving her blonde hair cascading down her back in long, perfect curls. Brooke then moved on to her makeup, taking her time and doing everything carefully.

"_You don't want to go to a salon to get your hair and make-up done?" Lucas had asked._

"_Not really. Brooke's been doing my make-up for years, she's got it down perfectly, and I'm not planning on doing much to my hair. I think it'll be some good girl time."_

"_I just want to make sure you're doing everything the way you want to, Peyt," he said._

"_This is exactly the way I want it to be," she replied._

Once hair and make-up were complete, Brooke, Haley, and Karen changed into their emerald-green dresses, each in a different style. Lily had been sceptical of her lighter green gown at first, being more of a pink girl, but the intricate beading in flower patterns and the beautiful material had convinced her that the colour was worth it. Peyton slipped away upstairs while the others were admiring each other, and put on her own dress, also designed by Brooke.

"_You're sure you just don't want to elope?" Lucas teased, as Peyton threw down another one of her shirts that could no longer fit over her growing belly._

"_I just might!" she threatened. "God, how am I ever going to fit into a pretty wedding dress at this rate?"_

"_You're going to look beautiful," he reassured her._

"_You'll think so, because it's your baby!" she moaned. "Everyone else will just think I look fat."_

"_You could never look fat," Lucas smiled. "You're just a skinny girl with a big belly."_

"_Oh, great, thanks a lot!" she exclaimed. "That's even worse."_

"_Look, I'm sure Brooke knows what she's doing," he said seriously. "She's going to make you the perfect dress, because she knows exactly what you'll love, and she also knows exactly how to play up every body shape. I mean it, Peyton. You're going to look beautiful."_

When Peyton descended the stairs, fully dressed and made-up, silence fell over the living room. Karen saw the young woman she had come to love as a daughter, ready to become one in name. Lily saw her soon-to-be sister-in-law, looking like a princess, which was always fine by her. Haley saw the girl who had befriended her at a time when everything had been confused, looking like she was finally ready to accept her place in the world at Lucas' side.

And Brooke saw her best friend, radiant in a dress she had poured her love into, happier than she had ever looked before. Despite everything she had been through, Peyton Sawyer was marrying the love of her life today, and Brooke had never been prouder of her.

"What do you think?" Peyton asked nervously.

"You look pretty," Lily said, her eyes wide in admiration.

"I did a good job," Brooke said with satisfaction.

"You really did," Haley added.

"Lucas is going to be very happy when he sees you in that," Karen said.

"Thanks," Peyton said.

"We'd better head out," Haley said, her practical nature asserting itself once again.

"Last time leaving this house as P. Sawyer," Brooke joked.

"And for Haley, last time leaving this house as the only Mrs. Scott," Peyton replied with a grin.

"That's Mrs. James-Scott!" Haley said. "You can be Mrs. Scott, be my guest."

"_Have you thought about what you want to do for your last name?" Lucas asked._

"_Yeah. I'm going to take yours," Peyton replied. _

"_You don't want to hyphenate it, like Haley did?" he asked._

"_No. I'm going to be Mrs. Scott. It's symbolic, you know?" she mused._

"_I like the sound of Mrs. Peyton Scott," Lucas admitted. _

"_So do I," she said, leaning in to kiss him._

As Peyton walked down the aisle towards Lucas, she felt the gaze of everyone in the room as they watched her proceed. She didn't care. All she could see was Lucas. Even from a distance, she could see the love in his eyes as she drew closer to him. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. The priest was saying something, Lucas was saying his vows, she was saying her own, but none of it really entered her mind. Everything she needed to know was written in Lucas' eyes.

When they entered the room for the reception, there was a round of applause, followed by ribald comments from their friends and families, which they accepted as gracefully as possible.

"Ready for our first dance as a married couple, Mrs. Scott?" Lucas asked.

"I am," she replied.

"So? What's the song to be?" he inquired.

"I already told the DJ," she said, and led him onto the floor.

"_You're not going to pick the song for our first dance in advance?" he asked incredulously._

"_No. I've thought of way too many and then changed my mind far too often. I've still got a few things in mind, but I'll know on the day," she said._

"_And what about me?" he pouted._

"_You told me I could pick!" she exclaimed. "And even if I had picked it in advance, I would have surprised you anyways. So you'll just have to wait and see."_

"_I bow to your superior judgment," he laughed._

As the first few notes drifted towards them, Lucas shot a puzzled glance at his wife. He didn't immediately recognize the song, but once the vocals began, he understood.

_You are my waking dream  
You're all that's real to me  
You are the magic in the world I see  
You are the prayer I sing  
You brought me to my knees  
You are the faith that made me believe_

Dreams on fire  
Higher and higher  
Passions burning  
Right on the pyre

They danced together slowly, their bodies as close as possible, completely at peace and happier than they had ever felt before. They both felt that they could stay that way forever, both secretly wishing that the song would never end.

_Once for, forever yours  
In me  
All your heart  
Dreams on fire  
Higher and higher_

You are my ocean waves  
You are my thought each day  
You are the laughter from childhood games  
You are the spark of dawn  
You are where I belong  
You are the ache I feel in every song

Dreams on fire  
Higher and higher  
Passions burning  
Right on the pyre  



End file.
